EU4 - How do you play - August 2015 Edition

[Wizzington]

I wasn't thinking in terms of the disabling, but rather just in terms of "how frequently does this work, and how long do I have to wait after a patch to use it again". If CK2 is faster than EU IV in terms of new patch --> overhaul mod is playable turnaround, that could at least partially explain the difference. If it isn't, then that's probably not a significant factor.

I would say it's not, with possibly the exception of patch 1.12. Porting mods to new CK2 versions tends to be more work due to the larger size of the databases. Patch 1.12 changing a lot of things and patch 1.13 partially integrating bigger diplo view probably both are part of the reason for the dip from 1.11.

 

[net.split]

I usually play with several graphical mods enabled but not in August due to the 1.13 beta force-disabling all of them (didn't want to bother with editing the files to make it work). I also modify the defines.lua file directly every patch instead of making my own mod for it (again out of laziness). Though lately the only thing I edit is the chance of women advisors. I change a lot of stuff in CK2's files.

I think there's some merit in the notion that CK2 has more modding because it is more personal / character-driven. I also mod Elder Scrolls games extensively for the same reason. I scarcely mod games where I'm farther removed from any individual character, but the more I get to be someone the more control I want over that experience.

 

[ZomgK3tchup]

What are you basing the 'larger modding community' on, exactly?

Really just conjecture.

The CK2 modding forum is double the size of the EU4 modding forum, IIRC, despite there only being a year between the release dates. The CK2 modding forum has more recent posts too (the first two pages filled with threads active in the last day in contrast to the EU4 modding forum where the first two pages go back to threads that haven't been active since Saturday).

So, yeah, just conjecture since I don't have things like posts over time, mods over time, active users in the forum per day, etc.

 

[Orctavius]

For me, achievements are the reason I don’t usually play EUIV with mods. It’s the same with CKII. I almost always played CKII with mods, but I’ve generally played without them since achievements were added to the game.

 

[Umega]

I usually don't play Ironman and with any mods, I much prefer playing the base game. Sometimes I have a few minutes of playing extended timeline mod.
The only thing I've modified with the base game is lowered coring and diplo-annexation costs.

 

[Maslov55]

Russia is strong! So, I'm one of translators.

 

[ChildeR]

I don't understand it entirely either..

The active playerbase for EU4 is far bigger than CK2 as well.

Personal anecdote: I like challenging myself when I play with EU4 and (gameplay) mods make me feel like I'm "cheating" since it's no longer the same game. With CK2 I just play to have fun and create weird stories, so I play both vanilla and overhauls.

 

[Pshek]

eu4 russian localisation lite --- 5.26%
eu4 rus provinces --- 2.39%
eu4 rus font bold --- 1.88%

Yea, our localisation mods are so popular! Thanks for all russians playing in EU.

Gibe cyrillic alphabet in new games, like Stellaris!

 

[Philadelphus]

1. bigger diplomacy view --- 3.59%
2. tbarw extra: transparent political mapmode --- 3.47%
3. thick borders and recolored water ver. 1.3 --- 2.85%
4. bigger peace view --- 2.16%
5. mapmodebuttons --- 2.12%

I use all these. Bigger peace and diplomacy view because I play on a 27" 1980x1200 monitor—going back to the default size feels like trying to read through a postage stamp. I'm really glad to hear that 1.13 will bee incorporating them (there's also Bigger Production Interface if you're looking for more good mods to incorporate! Let us use our screen real estate to its full potential. )

TBARW EXTRA: transparent political mapmode is beautiful for letting me see the terrain while also being able to tell at a glance what country a province belongs to.

Thick borders and recolored water I consider essential, though more for the borders. The crisp black borders without visible seams just look so much nicer to my eyes.

And mapmodebuttons is a recent addition, but very handy for letting me see both the map mode buttons and the mini map at the same time. I've noticed I tend to check additional mapmodes more frequently now that they're always visible (I can't play without the minimap in the corner so I always used to leave them hidden).

And finally, I want to say that I really appreciate Paradox's way of letting people use such graphical mods that don't change gameplay and still be able to play Ironman and get achievements, as after a few learning games I've exclusively played Ironman for probably something like 300 hours now.

 

[Silverbow]

For me, achievements are the reason I don’t usually play EUIV with mods. It’s the same with CKII. I almost always played CKII with mods, but I’ve generally played without them since achievements were added to the game.

This. I never use mods, as 90% of my EUIV games are with an achievement goal (plus whatever extra goals and limitations I set to myself for that game in RP sense).

CK2 is another beast, I dislike ironman there - some achievements are too specific - requiring later game starts which I never use ever since earlier starts became available; others were added after I already played games where I achieved the conditions... speaking of which, the White Elephant in EUIV appearing just after I played an Ayutthaya game for Land of Eastern Jade was horrible. But mostly, CK2 = ruler designer to start out, which rules out Ironman.

 

[Oorlog]

Mostly Ironman with graphical mods (Terrain/ Units/ UI)

 

[aragonFTW]

I havent played CK2 for ages but remember not liking the vanilla gameplay so much compared to the really interesting AI and other changes Wiz et al made in CK2+ or getting rid of event fatigue through VIET. Neither of those are as much of an issue in EU4 as I kind of like what the main game offers more than the alternatives.

Plus, I play CK2 exclusively in single player as my main paradox buddy never really got into it, so I can afford to be more esoteric there, but we have regular competitive EU4 and I need to stay sharp on the normal ruleset.

 

[Sigwald]

eu4 russian localisation lite --- 5.26%
eu4 rus provinces --- 2.39%
eu4 rus font bold --- 1.88%

Yea, our localisation mods are so popular! Thanks for all russians playing in EU.

Gibe cyrillic alphabet in new games, like Stellaris!

If there is 5% people modding the game in order to play it in russian, that's really a market they are neglecting. I complain about the quality of the french translation of the Pdox games but I don't think we are weighted as much in term of sales.

 

[Tiax]

A stat that I would like to see in a future edition of these posts is which provinces are most used in players' custom nations.

 

[FieldMedic]

Is Hearts of Iron (4 going to be) localized in Russian? I would assume it to be a popular title in Russia.

 

[quicksabre]

The amount of people who patch the game and then never play it while being online is abysmally small.. 0.01% is a huge overestimation.

In my personal case, this is not a good proxy. When I play ironman, I play online, when I don't (basically whenever I don't feel like trying for an achievement), I stay offline. So perhaps half of my games are offline and not ironman, but all of my games would appear to be ironman if you can only check online games.

Anyway, this is not meant to be a criticism of the statistics. I'm inclined to believe they are fairly good, actually.

 

[Mauer]

I usually play with several graphical mods enabled but not in August due to the 1.13 beta force-disabling all of them (didn't want to bother with editing the files to make it work).

You just have to change the line supported_version="1.12" to supported_version="1.13" in the .mod file for each mod.

I couldn't stand looking at the vanilla map now.

 

[RobRoy3]

In my personal case, this is not a good proxy. When I play ironman, I play online, when I don't (basically whenever I don't feel like trying for an achievement), I stay offline. So perhaps half of my games are offline and not ironman, but all of my games would appear to be ironman if you can only check online games.

Yay, I'm finally a member of the 0.01%!

Unless I'm playing ironman, I always play offline, too. And I haven't played ironman since the infuriating exile situations started cropping up, on the other side of the world, for random DoW or Peace Deals (which is still a problem, btw).

 

[chrnno]

In my personal case, this is not a good proxy. When I play ironman, I play online, when I don't (basically whenever I don't feel like trying for an achievement), I stay offline. So perhaps half of my games are offline and not ironman, but all of my games would appear to be ironman if you can only check online games.

Anyway, this is not meant to be a criticism of the statistics. I'm inclined to believe they are fairly good, actually.

Yay, I'm finally a member of the 0.01%!

Unless I'm playing ironman, I always play offline, too. And I haven't played ironman since the infuriating exile situations started cropping up, on the other side of the world, for random DoW or Peace Deals (which is still a problem, btw).

I seem to be missing something here because I am no longer sure what people mean by playing online/offline. I took it to mean being connected to the internet so pretty much always for the context of people in here and especially more for those who keep game updated yet that doesn't sound like what you guys are talking about so can anyone enlighten me please?

 

[User4035]

Here are my stats.

I ply ironman like 95% of my single player games.
I restart all the time.
Past few weeks I've been trying to revoke the privliga as Austria. I think I've restarted about 50 times because of rivals and needing spy advisor. And just failing before reformation hits.

I've played a little bit with arumbas mod pack. I like terrain borders see through mod.
I don't like the extended diplomacy screen mod because on my laptop it cuts off the top.

I would play with the terrain and waters mod separate but its not updated for 1.13beta.


Also I think iron man mode is only 25% because custom nations is popular and doesn't let you play in ironman.